“Free Ice Cream!” That’s all the tweet said, but I trusted the person who posted it, so I clicked the link. The link led to a blog post, which linked back to the original promotional page. Cold Stone Creamery is giving away ice cream today, September  24, to all customers who make a donation to the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

I’m sure this campaign will bring plenty of customers, old and new, into Cold Stone Creamery’s stores.

Even if your business doesn’t have a brick-and-mortar store, a viral marketing campaign like this one can bring new customers to any event you organize—and get them hooked on your products or services.

The strategies are simple. Here are 5 plus an one to help you:

1.    Offer something valuable for free. “Valuable” doesn’t have to mean expensive. Coldstone Creamery is giving away 3-ounce servings of ice cream, not gallon buckets.

2.    Make sure the gift represents your business. The latest gadget or desk toy can be fun, but who remembers the giver? An actual sample of your product or service, cleverly presented, is far more useful as an ongoing sales tool.

3.    Simplify the message. A clear, catchy hook will garner many more clicks than a more complicated offer.

4.    Get people to share the offer. Social media networks like Twitter and Facebook make it easy to pass along a link to your web site. You can even reward those who retweet by entering them into a drawing for a bigger prize.

5.    Make them come to you. When people come to your event to claim their gift, you’ve converted a stranger into a potential customer.

Extra tip: Remember to follow up so that you can keep them coming back.  A great way to do this is to send them a card!